Purdue vs. Houston NCAA Tournament Predictions (Sweet 16)
After a relatively low-key first weekend of March Madness hoops, we are back in action as the Sweet 16 continues tonight. Despite no major Cinderellas becoming tournament darlings and only one double-digit seed making it to the second weekend, we have a plethora of fantastic matchups to look forward to.
These No. 1 seeds are the best grouping of top seeds in the history of KenPom, but it's no guarantee they will all make San Antonio. We have four games tonight. While it isn't my favorite of the two nights, it's still March Madness, and for that I'm thankful. But let's get right into previewing each game with some leans and Sweet 16 best bets. Below we dive into our top predictions for Purdue vs. Houston.
- NCAA College Basketball Odds
- NCAA College Basketball Player Props
- NCAA College Basketball Picks & Predictions
- NCAA College Basketball Matchups
2025 NCAA Tournament March Madness Bracket Strategy & Betting Picks>>
2025 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Purdue vs. Houston
(Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 1 Houston Cougars
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Line: Houston -8.5 | Total: 131.5
Finally, we have Purdue-Houston in a semi-home game for the Boilermakers. Houston is going to attack with their high hedge defense that has limited Purdue's pick-and-roll game in the past, especially Braden Smith. Purdue had a 28% turnover rate against McNeese and will have a lot of inefficient looks while trying to keep this game close.
Offensively, Houston's struggle is inside the arc, which is an easy target for Purdue. I expect the Boilermakers to keep up from the perimeter here as they lean on their offensive rebounding. The TLDR is I expect both teams to be limited. Despite the total already being low, this is a first-to-60 type of game.
Bet: Under 131.5 Points (-105)